Students’ self-assessment of their competence for maintaining pedagogical documentation in primary teaching

Abstract

Apart from dealing with pupils in class, teachers are required to have a good command of maintaining pedagogical documentation daily, throughout the school year. This way, they carry out all administrative activities that ensure a thoughtfully planned realization of the teaching process. Fundamental competencies needed to perform the job are initially acquired at university and further developed through professional pedagogical practice and work. This paper provides an insight into the self-evaluation of the competence of students, future teachers in primary education to maintain pedagogical documentation and its connection to taking the School Regulation and Documentation course at the Faculty of Teacher Education of the University of Zagreb. The research results indicate that this competence is greater in students who have taken the course, compared to the ones that have not. On the other hand, both groups of students blame the lack of the competence on the inability to apply theoretical knowledge in the teaching practice. All students, nevertheless, acknowledge the importance of enrolling in at least one course related to school administration. They believe such courses enable future teachers to acquire essential skills needed to competently maintain pedagogical documentation upon employment